At last, Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre replaces those historically uncomfortable seats (video)

The next time you see a show at the Landmark Theatre, you can focus on the nuances of the story or the beauty of the music instead of the pain in your knees or the throbbing in your backside.

The downtown Syracuse theater this month is putting the finishing touches on a $2.4 million renovation that will include a renovated marquee at the entrance.

But the major piece of the project is inside: The old seats have been ripped out and replaced with new ones that are, well, comfortable.

“As long as I’ve been here, the seats have been a concern,” said Landmark Executive Director Mike Intaglietta. “I know more about theater seats than I ever wanted to.”

The new seats, the first replacements in the theater’s 93-year history, should be ready later this month, Intaglietta said. That would be just in time for the upcoming Broadway in Syracuse season, which begins Oct. 12 with “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The season also includes the first-ever Syracuse production of “Hamilton.” (See schedule below).

The seats at the Landmark, especially those in the balcony, have been a sore point for patrons for years. One once wrote a letter in which he said “Les Miserables” was not just the name of the show he saw, but a description of those theatergoers sitting in the upper level seats.

The balcony seats were known for being especially narrow, with almost no legroom. Even the lower level orchestra seats left a lot to be desired in the area of comfort.

That’s not surprising: The seats that were torn out this summer date to the opening of the Landmark in 1928. They’d been reupholstered — at least once anyway ― but were otherwise original, Intaglietta said.

“I guess it’s fair to say they weren’t designed for many modern theatergoers,” he said.

The Landmark Theatre in Syracuse has finally replaced its chairs for the first time since 1928. The original aisle ends have been refurbished and repainted as well.

The Landmark Theatre in Syracuse has finally replaced its chairs for the first time since 1928. The original aisle ends have been refurbished and repainted as well. Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Katrina Tulloch | ktulloch@syracuse.com

But, for a long time, the history worked against replacing them. The theater is a registered historic landmark, and all renovations must take that into account. The new seating adheres to the deep red color scheme, for example, and retains the decorative “aisle ends,” which received a new paintjob.

And the Landmark also wanted to make improvements without sacrificing too many seats. In the end, the renovation has 2,754 seats, a drop of less than 100 from the original configuration.

“So we gained some comfort and a little legroom without losing too much capacity,” Intaglietta said.

In addition, the building’s structure presents problems. The steps and risers on the balcony, for example, are poured concrete, and couldn’t be adjusted.

The seating contractor, Irwin Seating Co. of Grand Rapids, Mich., did its best to deal with the challenges Intaglietta said.

As it was before the renovation, legroom remains better in the orchestra than in the balcony. But even in the balcony, improvements include slightly less depth in the seat backs, and a rise in the angle of the seat bottoms. The balcony seats are also wider than the old ones.

That should mean an improvement in the long-standing complaint that balcony patrons often had their knees up in their faces during performances. Still, the higher levels of the balcony remain tight. The Landmark’s box office will continue to provide warnings of limited legroom in some rows, Intaglietta said.

“In many places throughout the theater, people should notice they’ve gained at least a few inches of space,” Intaglietta said. “But the higher you go, the less space there is.”

Tina Niles and Jim Curry try out the new chairs at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. The seats hadn't been replaced since 1928.

Tina Niles and Jim Curry try out the new chairs at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. The seats hadn't been replaced since 1928. Katrina Tulloch | ktulloch@syracuse.com

The seating renovations also added new and bigger wheelchair access locations.

The marquee renovation, meanwhile, has undergone some changes, and may not be complete by the time of the first show, Intaglietta said. The seats and marquee improvements are paid for by a $2 million state grant and donations from several local foundations.

Other renovations going on now include new lighting and upgrades to the ventilation system, which were planned before Covid but will help with the current need for better air circulation.

The last major renovation at the Landmark was a $16 million project in 2011 that greatly expanded its stage and allowed it to host the sort of big-time Broadway shows it couldn’t book in the past. Those include major productions like “Wicked,” “The Book of Mormon” and “The Lion King,” which require several tractor-trailers of sets, equipment and costumes.

The theater has been closed through much of the pandemic, but its return this season includes a new economic boost: Four of the touring companies will use the Landmark and the nearby Redhouse Arts Center for extra weeks of technical and other rehearsals this season.

That will bring cast, crew and staff to downtown’s hotels, restaurants and shops for several weeks or a month for each of those shows, generating an estimated $10 million in new downtown spending.

Here’s the full Famous Artists’ 2021-2022 M&T Bank Broadway Season in Syracuse schedule:

“Charlie & The Chocolate Factory” Oct. 12-16, 2021 at the Landmark Theatre.

“Waitress” Dec. 7-12, 2021 at the Landmark Theatre.

Blue Man Group Feb. 24-27, 2022 at the Landmark Theatre.

“Hamilton” March 15-27, 2022 at the Landmark Theatre.

“Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show” April 5-7, 2022 at the Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater.

“Cats” April 26-30, 2022 at the Landmark Theatre.

Tickets for the original dates postponed by the Covid-19 pandemic will honored for the new dates.

Season tickets are on sale now through BroadwayInSyracuse.com.

Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook.

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